"Eva?" I called out as I closed the front door behind me as I listened for a response, but the house was eerily quiet as I walked to her room to investigate. "Hey, you. You about ready to run some errands?"

"I guess. Eva shrugged, leaning her head back against the mattress. She was holding what looked like a small picture of some sort in her hands. Even though I couldn't see the picture, I could piece together that maybe it was of her adopted parents.

"You know." Slowly sitting down on the floor next to her, I decided it was better than keeping my distance ."It's okay if you're sad. It's okay if you're feeling other emotions too."

"Are you still scared about having me?" She questioned, holding the picture to her chest. "I mean about people hurting me because of your job?"

"All the time. But just because I'm afraid doesn't mean I won't protect you, or that you won't have other people looking after you or me. I work with some pretty amazing people, and even if something happens, they're not the kind of people to just give up."

"Really? You promise."

"I promise." That was a promise I could keep, knowing without a doubt that anyone on the team would do whatever it took. "I know it may not seem like it now, but you can always keep a part of them here with you."

"How do I do that?"

"Well, for starters, maybe we can put that picture in a frame so you can keep it on the nightstand instead of wherever you were keeping it before."

"I like that idea." Outlining her parent's face with her finger, she turned to me with a frown."They were really good people. Why did they have to die?"

"Sometimes we don't know why these things happen, especially to the people we love. What matters most is what we do with ourselves after it does."

"What do you mean?"

"When we see a loved one get hurt or sick or hear that they died, it makes us so sad that we don't know what to do with ourselves. What we do to get out of that sadness, whether positive or negative, is what will determine what we do next in our own lives."

"I guess that makes sense. So what do you do?"

"I'll have a good cry. Sometimes I talk to a friend or we have a counselor at work that I'll talk to if something big happens at work or in my life."

"I cry sometimes too," Eva confessed, crawling on her knees so she could put the picture up on the nightstand. "But I don't really have anyone like that to talk to."

"You have me. I may not always understand what you're going through, but I can always listen."

"Thanks." She said quickly, wrinkling her nose up as she sat back down beside me. "Don't you have to say that because you're my mom?"

"Not exactly. Not all parents are willing to be parents and listen."

"Did yours listen?"

"At one time, they did. Then things got a little complicated between them and me and my brothers while growing up."

"Whether you're little or big, things come with really big feelings," Eva recalled proudly as she pushed her back against the bed.

"Who told you that?"

"Eliza. When we first met you at your work." She wiggled her feet back and forth as they knocked against one another in a sort of clicking rhythm. "I could tell you were upset, but I didn't know why, so I guess that's why she told me."

"She's not wrong," I confirmed, wanting to tell her more. I had already told her at the park that I hoped I could tell her everything one day, but it was more because I wanted to make sure she understood why I did it. "It doesn't matter what age you are. Things will hit you in a different way when they happen."

"How does it hit you?"

"Emotions are like when you're walking on the sidewalk and you trip and fall because there's a bump in the concrete. When you fall, you decide whether you get up or stay on the ground."

"Oh. I guess I never thought of it that way." Pulling her legs up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'm glad I can talk to you about things. It was starting to get lonely not being able to talk to people."

"What about Eliza?"

"I did talk to her, but mostly she just asked me questions. Like what I wanted to eat for breakfast, if I wanted to go to the park, or if I brushed my teeth before bed. I think she missed her family. When she thought I was asleep, she would go into the bathroom and talk to them."

"Eliza has kids?"

"Mhm. I think so. I could hear her say, put Charlie on the phone, and I can't remember who else she was talking to."

"Huh. I never would have pegged Eliza for having children."

"Me either." Her expression became contemplative as she slowly put her feet flat on the ground. "Have you always wanted kids?"

"Only since I was a little girl." I smiled, knowing it was true. Ever since I had taken care of my brothers, it made me realize how much I wanted to be a mother one day. Then I grew up and work took over my life, and well, here I was with a second chance at even having that wish fulfilled.

"If you wanted kids, then why didn't you have more?"

"I guess I never found the right person to be with after your father came along."

"Oh." She stared down at her shoes before her face brightened with an idea. "What about Jay?"

"Jay is my work partner. We're just friends."

"Okay.." She relented, beaming as she sat up on her knees again. " He seems nice though."

"He is a very nice guy. One of the best people you'll ever meet." I decided now more than ever was a good time to change the subject, just in case she planned on asking me any more questions. "Hey, why don't you and I go to the store and get that night light? Maybe we can look at some schools before we go to the grocery store and grab some things you like to eat."

"Can we get yogurt?"

"Yes, we can get yogurt." I stood up slowly before grabbing the booster seat still sitting by the door. "Anything else you want to get while we're at the store?"

"Lunch meat? I like sandwiches."

"What about for dinner?"

"Umm. I don't know. Can I think about that one?" Eyeing her shoes sitting by the closet, she grabbed them and sat on the edge of the bed to put them on.

"Sure. I'm going to change. I'll meet you in the kitchen in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay."